The use of modern communication systems through which to communicate is a necessary aspect of modern society. Many different communication services are regularly effectuated by many different users to effectuate many different types of communication services. Many essential, as well as many other, services are predicated upon the ready availability of, and ready access to, communication systems.
As advancements in communication technologies continue, additional communication services, as well as improvements to existing communication services, shall likely become available. Generally, the advancements in communication technologies provide manners by which to communicate data, communicated to effectuate a communication service, in more efficient manners, or at higher data communication rates, or in manners that better provide for successful delivery of data to a receiving station in spite of adverse communication conditions.
The use of digital communication techniques, for instance, has been made possible as a result of technological advancements in communication technologies. Many modern communication systems utilize digital communication techniques. The use of digital communication techniques provides various advantages. By digitizing data, redundancies in the data are more readily removed, permitting the data to be communicated in more efficient form, free of redundancies. Improved data throughput rates or reduced bandwidth requirements needed to communicate the data are permitted.
A radio communication system is an exemplary type of communication system. Digital communication techniques are regularly utilized in many modern radio communication systems.
A cellular communication system is an exemplary type of radio communication system. While cellular communication systems are constructed to be operable in conformity with any of various operating standards, the cellular communication systems generally include network infrastructures having a plurality of spaced-apart base transceiver stations. The base transceiver stations each define cells, and portable communication stations, carried by users, are generally able to communicate with a base transceiver station in whose cell that the portable communication station is positioned when communications are effectuated.
Several analogous types of wireless communication systems have been implemented, and others have been proposed, to encompass limited areas, for example, areas encompassed by a business office or building structure. So-called micro-cellular networks, private networks, and WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks) are representative of radio communication systems that are operable, at least in various aspects, in manners analogous to operation of a cellular communication system. Additionally, communication systems that utilize ad hoc networks, i.e., do not utilize a fixed network, are also utilized or undergoing development.
Wireless communication systems, such as the aforementioned wireless local area networks are generally constructed to be operable in conformity with the operating protocols of a selected communication standard. While various promulgated operating standards have achieved widespread adoption, many wireless local area networks are constructed to be operable in conformity with an IEEE 802.11(b), operating specification, or a variant thereof. The IEEE 802.11(b) standard is promulgated by the IEEE, and the operating specification has become a predominant wireless LAN standard pertaining to a commercial 2.4 GHz wireless LAN (Local Area Network) frequency range as well as an unregulated band in the 5 GHz frequency range. The 802.11(b) standard specifies, amongst other things, an over the air interface between a wireless client, e.g., a mobile node, and a base station or access point.
Cellular communication system are generally operable pursuant to other operating specifications. Mobile nodes are increasingly constructed to be operable in both a WLAN and in a cellular communication system. And, standard-creating groups, such as the 3GPP, are promulgating standards related to interworking arrangements between WLANs and the networks of cellular communication systems.
Unlike some other communication systems implemented at other frequency bands, the frequency bands allocated for wireless local area networks are relatively unregulated, permitting their speedy deployment and re-deployment, as needed.
Mobile nodes operable in wireless local area networks are typically constructed to monitor selected frequencies within the allocated frequency bands to detect a wireless local area network within communication range of the mobile node. Access points, or other devices, of a wireless local area network broadcast signals to alert mobile nodes of the wireless local area networks of which the access points, or other devices, form portions.
A mobile node might well be positioned at a location encompassed by more than one wireless local area network with which the mobile node is capable of communicating. Selection is required to be made of with which of the networks with which the mobile node shall attempt to communicate. Proposals have been set forth to define manners by which the mobile node makes its selection. For instance, in proposals for the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) operating specification relating to third-generation radio communication systems, proposals are set forth that define the manner by which the mobile node is to select the network with which to communicate. And, in particular, the proposals make use of network selection lists that indicate which WLAN networks with which the mobile node should first attempt to communicate.
In existing proposals, the network selection list is to be formed at a removable storage element, herein referred to, at times, as a smart card, such as a smart card (U) SIM/R-UIM. While, prospectively, the smart cards are well capable of storing such network selection lists, certain legacy smart cards are unable to store, and permit maintenance of, the network selection lists in manners now-proposed.
A manner is thereby required by which to facilitate network selection utilizing network selection lists at the mobile node irrespective of whether the mobile node utilizes a smart card of new construction or a legacy smart card.
It is in light of this background information related to network selection by a WLAN-capable mobile node that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.